One of the most common methods for styling hair has been applying fixative agents to the hair, such as high molecular weight polymers. The problem with using such fixative agents is that they have a tendency to make the hair feel sticky, stiff and crisp. Furthermore conventional fixative agents also tend to make consumers hands feel sticky when they are applying or styling their hair with compositions containing them.
One way in which this problem has been addressed in the past has been to include conditioning agents, for example silicones and cationic surfactants, in the compositions, to counter the negative effects of the styling agents. Although such conditioning agents do provide substantial improvements in for example the wet and dry combing properties of the hair and in the smoothness of the hair, they tend to have a negative effect on the styling of hair e.g. poor style creation and hold. Furthermore the use of conditioners does not overcome the sticky feeling on consumers hands during application and styling with the product.
The present invention provides high styling efficacy (e.g. control, ease of styling, style longevity and manageability) without undue stiffness and sticky feel.
Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) have been used in hair care compositions as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,276, EP408311, EP412707 and EP412704. However these PSAs tend to hydrolyse in aqueous and hydroalcoholic hair care products.
The present invention has the added advantage that hair can be styled without the consumers hands becoming sticky.
A further advantage is that hair styled with compositions of the present invention does not become limp or lose its style and curl retention in humid conditions.
The invention also relates to PSAs, which are particularly stable in aqueous and hydroalcoholic hair care products.